In June last year, the state government brought multi-layered and tetra packaging under the ambit of the plastic ban.

THE STATE environment department is likely to ask plastic manufacturers to come up with a plan for the Extended Producers Responsibility (EPR) for collection and recycling of plastic waste.

Officials from the department said a team went to Kerala to study implementation of the EPR. “We found solid waste collection and recycling is going on well there but not plastic waste,” an official said.

The official added that other states like Sikkim and Himachal Pradesh too have not given much emphasis on implementation of the EPR. “Overall, there is no effective implementation of the EPR in any city or state. So, we will now ask plastic manufacturers to come up with the EPR plan,” he said.

In June last year, the state government brought multi-layered and tetra packaging under the ambit of the plastic ban. While multi-layered packaging is used for chips, snacks and biscuits, tetra packaging is used for milk, juice etc. Under the EPR, multi-layered and tetra packaging firms need to set up a mechanism for collecting and recycling of plastic.

“As per provisions of the Plastic Waste Management and Handling Rules, 2016, the primary responsibility for collection of plastic used for packaging lies with the manufacturers. So, they should set up collection centres at major locations and develop a buyback mechanism,” said another official.